Insomnia
by ober22
Summary: Late nights together change everything that Rose and Scorpius thought they knew about each other.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Rose/Scorpius fic. I've been working on this for a while, and I hope it's not too terrible. Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to J.K. I'd be okay with having as much talent as she has in her little finger. For now all I own is this story idea.**

**Insomnia**

**Chapter 1**

**Head Boy, Meet Head Girl**

**Scorpius' POV**

When I got my seventh and final Hogwarts letter, I almost didn't open it. It was sure to be exactly the same as the last six, and I'd had it memorized since third year. The only reason I ended up opening it was to see what supplied I would need for my last year at school. That's when I saw it. Nestled between Professor McGonagall's letter and my supply list was a badge and letter congratulating me on being appointed Head Boy.

Those two additions to my school letter made me laugh harder than I had all break. I was literally rolling in my bed, tears streaming down my face. It was the kind of behavior that would make my grandfather Lucius roll over in his grave. All the more reason to act that way, if you ask me.

Once I'd managed to curb my laughter enough to breathe properly, I wrote to Al to let him know. I couldn't help but chuckle every few minutes. What was Minnie thinking, naming me Head Boy?

Sure, I was second in our year, and Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I'd been a prefect the previous year. I was also in the running for most detentions in a single school year. Al beat me by two last year, something he's never going to let me forget.

Al and I enjoy a good prank every so often. If there's one thing we love more than that, though, it's a party. I guess McGonagall's just such a big fan that she can overlook my previous transgressions. She's always loved me. Not that I'm some arrogant git. I've been told one more than one occasion that I'm charming.

I sent the letter off to Godric's Hollow with my owl Apollo, and shoved the contents of my Hogwarts letter back into the envelope. I knew that my mother would have a fit if she found out I'd made Head Boy and waited more than five minutes to tell her. She'd be even more upset if she finds out I wrote Al before telling her.

My mother is nothing if not a creature of habit. I knew I'd find her somewhere among her millions of plants. She spends as much time as possible in her gardens, and loves the fact that our property is nothing but rolling hills.

When Mom gardened, it was the only time she would be caught with so much as a hair out of place. It was as if in the garden, there were no rules. Whereas normally her long brown hair flowed down her back, in the garden it was always gathered on the top of her head, as if the slightest wind would send it cascading down her back. It was the only way I ever found her, especially when she was in the taller plants. I watched as she bobbed along a row of sunflowers, a small smile on her face. She loves plants almost as much as Professor Longbottom.

"Hogwarts letter came, Mum!"

She popped up and brushed herself off as she hurried towards me. She extended her hand, and I had to laugh, because she had done exactly the same thing every year since I was eleven, and my first Hogwarts letter had come.

I wasn't about to give her any hints, because she tended to have wonderful reactions to surprises. I saw her face change as she fished around in the envelope, and I knew her hand had brushed against the badge. She drew it out with a little shriek and threw herself at me. Even though I'm over a foot taller than Mum, she has a bone crushing hug. As her grip tightened, I could feel the air rushing from me.

"Mum! I'll never be Head Boy if you squeeze me to death!" She pulled back and I saw there were tears in her eyes.

"Sorry sweetheart, You just make me so proud. I'm off to floo your father at work. I know he'll want to hear all about this!" With a clumsy pat on the cheek, she turned around and walked back to the Manor.

As she walked back towards the house, a black speck appeared on the horizon. Soon I realized it was Apollo, returning with Al's response. Apollo wasn't the most patient owl, and when I took more than two seconds to untie Al's letter from his leg, I recieved a peck to the hand. Once the letter was off, Apollo flew off with a hoot to be moody somewhere else. I sunk down against one of Mum's ancient trees and unrolled Al's parchment.

_Scor!_

_Do you thihk Minnie's finally lost her mind? I know she's always been a big fan of yours, but Head Boy? Merlin, she's basically asking us to have a party every night. We won't even need the Room of Requirement anymore. Hopefully Head Girl isn't some crazy bird. Can you imagine a whole year in close quarters with someone like Finnigan? Pray to Godric Minnie has enough sense to make a smarter decision for Head Girl. Gran says to tell you congratulations, and that she misses you. She's really disappointed that you didn't get a chance to visit this summer, and insists that you come for Christmas hols. Sometimes I think she loves you more than me. Bring your thinking cap for the train. I think a welcome back do in the Head's common room is in order. See you in a week._

_Al_

I was sure that by the time we boarded the Hogwarts Express, Al would have a party schedule for the entire term ready. The letter was just so Al that I couldn't help but laugh. Especially about his grandmother. She really does love me.

I was a bit nervous about the Head Girl situation, to be honest. The girl McGonagall chose for Head Girl would be sharing a common room with me, and it could make or break the entire year. If Al had jinxed us because of his letter, and I was stuck with Violet Finnigan all year, I was prepared to hit him with a Bat Bogey Hex. I'd learned it from his mum during second year, and it had always been a personal favorite of mine.

If I was stuck with Violet Finnigan, or someone like her, it was more than likely that they find my body at the bottom of the astronomy tower before the first class of term started. Violet was nice anough, but she was terrifying in her own way. On the first night of first year after the sorting ceremony, I'd noticed her staring at me across the common room. I made the mistake of smiling at her, and since then she's taken to following me around. Six years of that can be extremely daunting, not to mention downright scary.

Trying to take my mind off the fact that I might be stuck with a crazy girl, I made my way back to the house. What I wasn't expecting was to see both my parents sitting in the kitchen. Not once in my seventeen years had I ever seen my father leave work early. Not when I got Dragon Pox, not when my grandfather had died. Here he was, standing in front of me. I guess there's a first for everything.

I'll admit that it made me a little nervous, but before I could turn and run for the hills, my mother's face lit up, identically to how it had when she'd discovered the badge.

"Scorpius, darling, look who came home to celebrate! Belly's cooking all your favorites for dinner."

I couldn't help but smile at my mother's enthusiasm, but at the same time I was wary of what my father would say about the situation. He cleared his throat, as he always did when he had something to say, and I waited for a noncommital phrase that I'd become all too accustomed to from my father.

"I'm proud of you, Scorpius. Seems like McGonagall likes you a sight more than she did me." He smirked, and held out his hand, the standard Draco Malfoy gesture.

His words were enough of a surprise, I couldn't expect any other deviation.

The next week passed in a blur of buying supplies in Diagon Alley and packing, topped off with a side of tears from my mother on a daily basis. It seemed that every time we were in a room together she would become emotional, because I was growing up too fast, and she couldn't believe that I was already starting my last year at school. I'm leaving in the morning, and as much as I love my mother, I can't wait to go.

I'd been sitting in the yard with my mother for two hours, listening as she recounted the day I got my first Hogwarts letter, and our first trip to King's Cross. She went on the tell me a story about each year since then. If I didn't love her as much as I do, I would have preferred the company of Violet Finnigan, but for my mother, I was willing to make an exception. I wasn't about to cause my mother any more emotional stress. That didn't mean, however, that I wasn't thanking Godric when my father came home from work, and came to my rescue. With a nod of his head in my direction, he gently guided my mother by the elbow into the house. They headed towards their bedroom, which was on the opposite side of the manor that mine was, and their voices began to fade. When they were gone completely, I made a mad dash to my room.

Since I'd turned seventeen in February, I was finally allowed to use magic to pack my trunk, and unlike the other six years, it took less than a minute.

As always, I had trouble sleeping. I had a terrible case of insomnia, and the first day of school had always made it worse. It was around two in the morning when I finally managed to fall asleep, only to wake up in a cold sweat an instant later from a nightmare that consisted of waking up in my Head's bedroom to Violet Finnigan watching me sleep. After that I gave up all hope of sleeping, and sat awake, hoping I'd be able to get some sleep on the train.

When it was finally time to head out, my mother started sniffling as I disapparated to King's Cross. She had to side along with my father because she felt she wasn't emotionally stable enough to do it herself without getting splinched. Sometimes my fathers lack of emotion is definitely better.

When the three of us were finally settled on the platform a few minutes later, my father gave me the customary handshake, and threw me for a loop when he patted my back.

"I really am proud of you, son. You've become a much better person than I ever was at your age."

My father had never hid any of his past from me, and he had worked extremely hard after the war to make a name for himself other than 'Former Death Eater'. All I could do was nod back at him, and hope he knew what I meant. I had never been ashamed of him, because all my life he had been nothing but an employee at the Ministry, and the man who taught me how to fly. If people like Mr. Potter had managed to forgive him after everything that happened, I didn't see a reason to let it affect my relationship with him.

My mother had been watching our interaction, and for a second was still, before launching herself at me. She was crying harder than she had all week, and squeezing just as tight as she always did. I patted her back, hoping to calm her down, but she continued to blubber. There was no hope for me to understand what she was saying, and my father rolled his eyes at me, which made me smile.

Over her head, I saw Al across the platform, and realized that he was my ticket to freedom.

"Mum. Mum! Al's here. I have to go."

Mum was one of Al's biggest fans, and the excitement of seeing him was enough for her to release me. Al had walked over to us, and was shaking hands with my father when he became the latest victim of the squeeze. In her haste to hug him, she jostled the glasses that he detested wearing, but needed more than even his father ever had. Al's face turned bright red, and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Mum, you can't squeeze him to death, either. We need him for Quidditch." Al rolled his eyes at me.

"It's nice to see you Mrs. Malfoy." After a second she stepped back to give him a look, and squeezed his cheek, something his grandmother did to me every time I visited the Burrow.

"You've gotten so handsome, Albus." His face turned even redder, and my father gave a quiet snort.

"That's enough, Astoria. The boys have to go." He grabbed her arm, and forced her away from Al. I took the moment to grab Al's shirt and race towards the train, screaming goodbye to my parents as I went.

"'We need him for Quidditch,' my arse, Scorp. You're a huge prat."

We were laughing as we looked for a cabin away from the younger students, when I realized that I was supposed to meet the Head Girl to discuss things. All the nerves I'd had the night before returned with a vengeance.

"You find a compartment, Al, and I'll find you soon. I have to go meet the Head Girl."

Al started laughing, and I knew him well enough to know that something was up. The look in his eyes gave him away.

"Albus Severus Potter, you know who she is! You know who got Head Girl, don't you!" He kept laughing.

"Why don't you go find out. I wouldn't want to ruin any surprises, _Hyperion._"

Al was nothing if not stubborn, and I knew he wasn't going to tell. I punched him in the shoulder, and began to make my way to the last car on the train to face my counterpart.

The second to the last car came much quicker than I thought, and I gathered what little courage I had. I took a deep breath and prayed that when I opened the door I wouldn't be met by the platinum hair of Violet Finnigan, or any of her crazy blonde friends.

I stepped in front of the car and steeled myself. As I slid open the door, I let the breath out that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. The only blonde in the head's compartment was my own.

**A/N: I honestly didn't want to end my first chapter with a cliffhanger, but the way this story is going to go, I didn't want a super long first chapter. I'll have the second up hopefully sometime next week : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I really want to thank everyone who favorited and reviewed the first chapter! It makes me smile. I'm apologizing in advance for this chapter. It's choppy, and more of a filler. Next chapter will focus more on Scorpius and Rose's relationship, and the title will start making sense. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter 2**

**Back to Hogwarts**

**Scorpius' POV**

There are no words to describe how relieved I was when the bleach blonde hair from my nightmares were replaced by very familiar, long, dark red curls. The curls that just so happened to belong to my favorite member of Al's family, besides Al, of course. I let out the breath that I'd been unconsciously holding, and slid open the compartment door. I made a mental note to smack my git of a best friend the next time I saw him.

"Hey, Beautiful."

Rose, who had been staring out the window, whipped around at the sound of my voice. Her hair fanned out behind her. It was longer than I'd ever seen it, almost to her waist. I hadn't seen her since leaving King's Cross in June. She'd gone to stay with her muggle grandparents for a month, and I hadn't been able to go to the Burrow, because my parents had wanted to spend 'quality time' together during my last school summer. The quality time hadn't exactly happened. It had been more helping my mother with chores around the manor, while my father was at work all day.

"Scorp!"

She seemed to fly across the compartment, and leapt into my arms. I knew enough to brace myself. I was more than a foot taller than her, but she was a lot like Mum, in the sense that they were both much stronger than they looked. I spun her around a few times and set her back down on her feet. She took a step back and looked up at me.

"I think you grew even more this summer, Scorp. You're like a weed." I made a face at her, and tapped her nose.

"And I think you got a few more freckles this summer, Rosie. I didn't think there was room for anymore."

Rose wrinkled her nose and shoved my arm. I knew she wasn't mad, though.

"Please tell me you're Head Boy?" I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction just yet, so I shrugged. "Scorpius Malfoy, tell me now! If I'm stuck with Ben McLaggen all year, I might just Avada myself."

Finally I nodded in the affirmatice, and she threw her arms around me. 

"Thank Merlin!" She shuddered. "Can you imagine, a whole year in close quarters with a prat like him? " She pulled me down onto one of the benches.

"I know. I'm so happy you're Head Girl, Rose. Your git of a cousin put the idea in my head that Finnigan was going to be made Head Girl." Rose knew all about the 'Violet Situation', and started laughing.

"It's not funny! I've had nightmares all week. Last night I had one, and I woke up in my bed to her watching me sleep."

By this point, Rose was as good as gone. She had collapsed into my side, and there were tears rolling down her face. I knew well enough that the only thing that would stop her laughter was time. With a huff, I pulled away from her and crossed my arms over my chest. When she finally calmed down, she scooted back over to me and squeezed my arm.

"I'm sorry, but the mental image I got! I couldn't help it. You have to admit it's a little funny."

"It's not funny, Rose! She's been stalking me for six years! Imagine we were stuck in the same room for an entire year. I'd never make it out alive."

She made sure to give me a look with the stupid puppy dog eyes she uses to get away with everything. I rolled my eyes back at her, knowing exactly what she was trying to do.

"Come on, Scorpius. She's not so bad. Just think, in case you get lonely, I'm sure she'd be willing to keep you company." She stood up and started walking towards the door. "Maybe I'll let her know the password, just in case."

Before I even had time to process what she was saying, she was through the door and running down the corridor. I jumped up and ran after her, knowing I couldn't let her get away with her comment. She looked back at me, and with a shriek, started running faster. She must have seen Al out of the corner of her eye, because suddenly she stopped short. Before I realized what was going on, the two of us were in a pile of limbs in the middle of the hallway. Al sat in the compartment laughing and shaking his head at our antics.

"Real mature, you two. Minnie made such a good decision putting the two of you in charge."

I picked myself up off the floor and offered my hand to Rose. Once she was back on her feet, I pulled her close to me, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"If Violet Finnigan ever shows up in the Head's dorm, Colin Creevey might end up overhearing the password. He might even get the idea that after all these years, you _finally _fancy him back. Got it?"

I pulled back in time to see Rose shiver and nod. Creevey's been after Rose since thirds year, and has made his best effort to woo her, so far without luck. I'm convinced that he's got a secret shrine to her somewhere.

When we finally joined Al, I made sure to punch him in the shoulder, hard.

"I should kill you, Al. You're such an arse putting the idea of Finnigan in my head when you knew Rosie was Head Girl."

Al winced and rubbed his arm, and then had the nerve to smile. Stupid git.

"Course I knew, mate. Gran was having a fit that Rose was named Head Girl. Where's the fun in just telling you, though?"

Rose laughed, but I didn't find it funny at all. Thinking about it now, I actually felt a little thick that I had thought someone other than Rose would be Head Girl. She's the only one in our year with grades higher than mine, and she'd been the other Gryffindor prefect with me last year. I usually pride myself in being sharp, but I guess this proves why I wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw.

After Al finished relishing in the fact that he'd fooled me, he produced a deck of Exploding Snap cards from his pocket, and we spent a good hour playing, until one of the lenses of Al's glasses cracked.

By the time we were done, Hugo and Lily had come and gone, Rose was shooing us to the loo the change into our robes. She was always the responsible one, she always had been. It was definitely going to come in handy with all the parties Al was undoubtedly planning. The thing about Rose is that she loves parties as much as Al and I, but she doesn't drink. Never has. No one knows why, but after all these years, no one questions it anymore. Whenever Rose goes to a party, no matter where it is, she always makes sure things are going smoothly. She's saved Al and I from many stupid drunken decisions. Last year she saved me from a love potion spiked Butterbeer from none other than Violet Finnigan. Rose is like the guardian angel of Hogwarts parties.

The three of us were finally settled and ready to begin our last year at the place that had been our home for the last six years. I'm not normally the type to get emotional like my mother, but I'll admit that I felt a jolt of sadness as we got off the train. As Heads, Rose and I had to wait until all the students, especially the first years, had been senttowards the school, both across the lake and on the carriages. Al went ahead with Alice Longbottom, Rose's best friend, promising to save us seats at the feast.

By the time we got to the Great Hall, the Sorting Hat was being placed on a first years head. The kid looked terrified, and smaller than I ever remembered being. As we settled in across from Al and Alice, I nudged Rose in the side.

"We were never that small were we Rose?" She snorted a little before answering.

"Well, _I _was never that small. I can't say the same about you, Mr. Malfoy. You were a peanut first year." I gave her a dirty look. It's true that she was taller than me until the end of third year. It was something that I hated, and she loved to rub in my face. The tables turned when I grew more than a foot during the summer between third and fourth year. I took every opportunity to rub my height in her face. I even used the memory of the shocked look on her face to fuel my patronus sometimes.

I threw my arm over her shoulder and laughed at the memory of Rose's face when I got on the train at the beginning of fourth year.

"How the tables have turned, Miss Weasley." She shrugged off my arm and punched me in the shoulder, another display of her impressive strength.

A few minutes before the feast was over, we had our meeting with the prefects. As heads, we didn't have to bring any of the younger kids to their common rooms. As we dismissed the prefects, Ben McLaggen pulled me aside. Before he even spoke, I knew this wasn't a conversation I'd want to have.

"Lucky you, Malfoy. A whole year with your girlfriend, huh?" I rolled my eyes. People have been convinced for years that Rose and I are in love, or something equally as ridiculous. "I bet McGonagall would have made me Head Boy if she had known you'd be using the room to shag the ginger."

It took all I had not to hex McLaggen, but I knew that getting in trouble on the first night wouldn't be a good start. I walked past him, making sure to knock his shoulder with mine. He laughed as I walked away. I can take a lot of shit, it comes with the name, but I hate when people make cracks at Rose. I felt as if the steam would start pouring out of my ears at any moment. Al grabbed me and steered me away from the girls.

"What's wrong, mate?"

"McLaggen." Al nodded knowingly. It's common knowledge that McLaggen is a huge prick, and Al has a lot of experience with him firsthand.

"Just forget about him, Scorp. You know how he is. He's probably just bitter because you got Head Boy."

I tried to shake off some anger as we walked back to the girls. When we reached them, Rose was telling Alice how she would give her a tour of our Head's dorm in the morning.

The four of us said our goodnights and headed off our seperate ways. Al and Alice made their way to Gryffindor tower, to oversee that the fifth and sixth year prefects were doing their jobs. Rose and I were off to the third floor to finally see where we'd be living for the year.

The Head's dorm is something of a mystery. I was in it a few times last year, because Rose's cousin Roxy had been Head Girl, and there was always Weasley parties going on. The thing about the dorm was that it changed every year, so there was a strong possibility that when we entered, it would look completely different.

We finally got to the picture of Aberforth Dumbledore. He died a few years after the war, and they decided that he would be a good person to guard the Head's dorm. He was as pleasant in death as he had been in life, and when Rose told him the password, _Nargles, _he merely grumbled before swinging open.

Rose looked up at me and squeezed my hand.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Little did I know it was the start of something I never would have expected.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I owe each and every reader a rather large apology for my horrifying lack of updating. My life has been so busy that I've barely had time to breathe, let alone write this. So this is dedicated to any of you who actually enjoy this story, and were waiting for an update. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 3**

**The First Night **

**Scorpius' POV**

All ideas I'd had about what our dorms would look like were blown away as we stepped through the portrait hole. The sound of Aberforth grumbling was abruptly cut off as the portrait slammed shut.

At first glance, the common room seemed very similar to that of the Gryffindor common room, the one we'd grown used to over the past six years. The walls were painted a deep red, and there were large golden lions stenciled along the borders. There were massive couches that could probably fit the entire Gryffindor quidditch team, if necessary. There were dark brown tables, and two study desks in a corner. An enormous fireplace with a large painting of Hogwarts above it was roaring in the corner.

The thing that struck me was the size of the room. It was almost as big as the Gryffindor common room, but the only person I'd have to share it with was Rose. I definitely didn't have a problem with that.

There were three doors across the room, which I assumed were our bedrooms and the bathroom we'd be sharing. As I continued to take everything in, I heard a quiet gasp. Looking down at Rose, I saw her eyes filled with tears, a single drop trailing down her cheek. Following her gaze, I saw what had her so emotional.

An entire wall was covered in bookshelves. The number of books seemed to rival that of the Hogwarts Library. Rose may look like Mr. Weasley, but she is as much a bookworm as her mum, if not more. Al and I have been trying to break her of the habit for years, but so far, we haven't had any luck. I tried, but failed, to hold in a laugh, and found myself on the end of a fierce, somewhat wet Rose Weasley glare. This was another thing she'd gotten from Mrs. Weasley. She's used it on me enough over the years that I've become immune to the fear it's supposed to cause.

"You're not offended, Rosie. Go!"

I dropped her hand and gave her a push towards what would undoubtedly become her favorite part of the dorm. While she was busy losing herself in the books, I decided to do more exploring.

As I made my way towards the three doors, my suspicions were proven correct. The left door had a large "R' on it, and the door on the right, an 'S'. I made the decision to see the bathroom before I lost myself in my room.

Opening the door, I found it to be a smaller version of the prefect's bathroom. There were two large sinks, a wall of mirrors, a shower, and a tub that could easily be used as a small swimming pool. Everything was white, except for the deep blue floor. It gave the impressions of being in a cloud.

Making my way out of the bathroom, towards my bedroom, I saw that Rose was still engrossed in the shelves, her nose in a book. I knew better than to interrupt her reading, so I walked as quietly as I could, so as not to disturb her. I knew well enough that bothering Rose while she was reading would incur the wrath of her Bat Bogey Hex. Al's mom was a big fan of the spell, and had taught Rose and Lily as soon as they'd gotten their wands.

As much as I love my room at home, it dulled in comparison to what was behind the door marked 'S'.

The room was larger than my own at the manor, and painted a gray color that reminded me of the eye color I shared with my mother. On one wall was an enlargement of the Chudley Cannons poster I owned, the same one that my father had been trying to get me to take down since the minute I put it up. I had threatened on more than one occasion to use a permanent sticking charm. One corner was filled with my Quidditch gear and my broom.

A large bed with a black quilt took up a large part of the room, along with a desk and three picture frames.

Walking over to the desk, I saw in the middle, a picture of my parents and I, taken at a random family wedding around fourth year. On either side of it were pictures of Al, Rose and I. To the left was the three of us during Christmas break first year. The second was of us in the Great Hall during last year's Halloween feast.

Picking them both up, I sat on my bed, which was probably the most comfortable thing ever, and had to laugh at how much the three of us had changed. The first, and most obvious change was the height. In the first picture, Rosie is almost a head taller than Al and I. In the second, we tower over her, and I'm happy to see that I'm taller than Al. Al's glasses are also different in the pictures, and we've definitely made better choices concerning our hair and dress, thank Merlin. Whoever told me that slicked back hair looked good was lying.

As I continued to look at the pictures, I heard Rose stir in the common room. Putting the frames back where I had found them, I walked into the common room, but it was empty. I knew there was only one other place she could be, so I made my way to the door marked 'R'.

"So, princess, will this be acceptable for your highness?"

Rose clearly hadn't heard me come in, and jumped. Turning around, I got a rude hand gesture for my comment. One time at the Burrow, I'd overheard Mr. Weasley calling her Princess, and ever since then it's become excellent fuel to get her angry.

She turned away from me, muttering something about killing her dad, and continued to look around her room.

Looking around her room, I made the observation that our rooms were almost exactly the same in layout, but the colors were different. Rose also had about ten times more picture frames, both on her desk and hung on the walls. Her family was quite a lot larger than mine.

While my room was calm, Rose's seemed almost alive. The walls were painted a light blue that almost seemed to shine, as if the paint had been enchanted. Her bed was as large as mine, and covered in a silver sheet that seemed to ripple as she sat on it. She patted the bed next to her, and I flung myself down next to her.

"So, is it everything you hoped it'd be?" I knew Rose had been aspiring to be Head Girl ever since first year.

"Definitely. Mum told me about how they design it to fit each person, but this is more than I expected."

"Good. So, tell me about your summer, Rosie. How was your time amongst the muggles?"

"Pretty boring. I spent most of it with Nan in the garden. That's why I have all these stupid freckles. I owled Mum constantly, asking if I could come home earlier, but you know how she gets." I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. Mrs. Weasley was nothing if not stubborn. When she put her foot down about something, there was almost nothing that could change her mind. In fact, in all the time I'd spent with Rosie's family, Mr. Weasley was the only one I'd seen accomplish it.

"Things were a little better towards the end, though." I raised an eyebrow.

"What happened at the end?" I nudged her in the side, laughing at the famous Weasley blush blooming across her face. I knew exactly what that meant.

"Rosie! Did you meet a boy? I thought we were going to get married!" I sighed as she started laughing. It was common knowledge that Rose's Gran was sure we were made for each other. "What would Gran think?"

"Shut up, Scor. If you must know, I didn't exactly meet a boy. I already knew him." I gave her a pointed look, waiting for her to explain. There was no way I was going to let her give me vague answers. Rose rolled her eyes at me.

"Well, if you must know, Andrew happens to live down the road from Nana and Papa. I was taking a walk with Nana one day and we ran into each other."

"Andrew?"

"Andrew Thomas." It took everything I had not to groan. Andrew Thomas was a Gryffindor in our year. I've never been a huge fan. During our first year, he used to give me dirty looks and mumble about how I belonged in Slytherin. Even though I held in my disgust, I must have made a face, because Rose slapped me in the arm.

"Just because you don't like him, doesn't mean I have to! He's been plenty nice to me."

"Rosie, you're abandoning our love for Andrew Thomas? Does this mean you're dating him?" Rose wouldn't look at me, so I knew my statement had been correct. This time I didn't hesitate to groan.

"He took me to Diagon Alley a few times this summer, and he came to stay at the Burrow for a week in August." I threw myself on my back, covering my eyes with my hands.

"Does this mean he's going to be hanging around here, Rose? You know he hates me."

I didn't need to look at Rose to know that she was rolling her eyes at me. I know I shouldn't be getting mad at Rose for dating the git, but there was just something about him that made it impossible for me to trust him, and know that he was going to be good to Rose. I was also mad at Albus for not mentioning it in his letters over the summer. He always made sure to inform me of everything that went on at the Burrow while I wasn't there. As I laid there stewing, I felt a hand on my elbow.

"Can't you just give him a shot, Scorpy? For me?" I took a hand away from my face and saw the pout that Rose plastered on when she was trying to get what she wanted. She also used that hideous nickname to try and soften me up. It's an insult to my manliness, but it also works almost 100% of the time. I let out another loud sigh.

"Fine, Princess. Just for you, but if that git pulls anything, I can't promise that I'll be able to control myself." The second I finished speaking, her pout changed to a triumphant grin. She laid down next to me, and we finished catching up on each others summers.

Rose fell asleep in the middle of a story about her Uncle George blowing up a treacle tart her Gran made, and I took that as my cue to tuck her in and retire to my bedroom, knowing that my first day as Head Boy had come to a finish.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! The next chapter will most definitely be up in a more timely manner. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I have to admit that I'm very proud of myself for an immensly faster update on this chapter. The POV's in this chapter are a little different. It starts off with Rose and then switches to Scorpius, with a little bit of an overlap to get his perspective. It's a little choppy, and I rewrote it about a thousand times, but hopefully you like it.**

_Chapter 4_

_It's Going to be a Long Year_

_Rose's POV_

As I woke up on Sunday morning, it took me a few minutes to realize where I was. When I finally realized that it was my new bedroom, I came to the conclusion that my new bed was the most comfortable thing in the world. There had to be some kind of elaborate cushioning charm on it, because there is no way it was naturally that fluffy.

Since September 1st had fallen on a Saturday, we were lucky enough to have a whole day to relax before classes started. Since there was nothing I absolutely had to do, I decided to give myself a few extra minutes in bed, soaking up the sunlight that was pouring through the massive window to my right.

I finally dragged myself out of bed, took and shower and got ready. I didn't think it was possible, but the bathroom in the Head's dorm was even better than the Prefects bathroom. I take the time to make myself look presentable, including a handy charm my mother taught me to make my hair less frizzy. It's the only beauty spell she ever taught me, and I think it was mostly out of guilt that I had inherited her hair type. The good thing about weekends were that I could wear Muggle clothes, instead of robes, which I loved. When I had finally went into the common room, Scorp was sprawled out on one of the plush couches, with an arm over his eyes. I wasn't sure how he was going to be about the whole Andrew situation. It's true that Scorpius and Andrew have never gotten along, but he's always been kind to me, and I have no reason not to like him.

Knowing Scorpius like I do, I knew he'd probably still be touchy this morning. I hoped that the boys would be able to get over their feud, if only for my sake.

I nudged his leg with my hand, and he shifted his arm away from his face.

"Breakfast?" I said hopefully. I was hoping that he wouldn't start a fight this early in the morning, or threaten to not speak to me until I'd broken up with Andrew. He didn't look happy, but nodded curtly and pulled himself into a sitting position.

Our walk down to the Great Hall was filled with an awkward silence, something I can say has never happened between us. Al and Alice were waiting for us at the entrance to the Great Hall, but before we reached them, I grabbed Scorpius' hand. It was a little upsetting that he flinched at my touch before turning to look at me. He still hadn't said a word to me since last night, and I knew it wasn't a good thing. He raised an eyebrow, and I took it to mean he listening.

"Listen, Scorp. I know you aren't happy about Andrew, but can you please just try to get along with him, for my sake? I won't bring him to the common room if it's going to make you angry. Just give him a chance?"

All I got was another nod in response, and he turned away from me and walked over to Al. They walked into the hall, and Alice came over to meet me.

"What's with him?"

"I told him about Andrew." Alice knew all about my new relationship, as did Al. I knew Scorpius was going to be even madder when he found out Al knew and didn't tell him, but it wasn't something I wanted to write in a letter.

"Ah. I told you that wasn't going to go well. I bet Al's going to get an earful this morning. Was he really mad?"

"I think so. He seemed okay last night, but he hasn't said a word to me since last night." Alice smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. I knew I wasn't going to like what came out of her mouth next.

"He's probably just jealous. One day you'll listen to your Gran and I."

It's true that the two of them like to plot together. I for one think they're full of hippogrif dung, but they assure me Scorpius and I will one day fall hopelessly in love.

"Shut up, Alice. The day I fall for Scorpius is the day you admit to Al that you love him." I knew my comment had hit its mark by the shade of pink dusting Alice's cheeks. She's been pining after my stupid cousin for years, ever since he saved her from a rogue Bludger during a summer at the Burrow.

"Rose! Don't say things like that where people can hear! That's not funny."

"We're the only two people in the hall, Alice." I have to laugh as she whips her head around and lets out a breath.

"It's a good thing I love you, Rosie." I can't help but take one more dig at her.

"Just like you love Al, right Alice?" Her eyes narrow, and I know enough to run. Granted, I'm not running very far, but Alice hates all kinds of physical activity, and it will give me at least a few seconds to hide behind Al. When I spotted Al and Scorpius, I dashed over and threw myself on the bench next to Al. The boys stopped talking as soon as I sat down, which I thought was odd. Scorpius was sitting across from him, and I hoped Alice would sit next to him. I knew she liked to sit across from Al so she could stare at him without looking suspicious. Al gave me a look, and I pointed to the door of the Great Hall, where Alice was stomping towards us. Al rolled his eyes, knowing that it was probably something stupid. If only he knew why she was really angry.

"I hate you, Rose."

"Alice Luna Longbottom! You just told me you loved me!" I pretended to pout, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"You're a nutter. I don't know how you handled a whole summer with her, Al."

"Neither can I, Alice." Al threw a wink her way, and I could see her trying to fight the blush that was rising. I smirked at her and she stuck her tongue out at me.

I was about to say something when someone slid into the seat next to me and I felt an arm snake around my waist. Thinking it was Hugo or one of my cousins, I elbowed them lightly in the side.

"Hello to you too, sweetheart." That voice definitely didn't belong to any of my relatives. I heard a snort from across the table, and saw Scorpius shaking with laughter. I was ready to aim a kick at him, but with my luck I'd hit Alice, and she was already mad at me.

"Andrew! I'm so sorry, I thought you were Hugo or someone." Luckily, he was a pretty easygoing guy, and smiled at me.

"No worries. So how's my favorite Weasley?"

I could feel Al shaking with silent laughter beside me, and Scorpius was rolling his eyes. I thought for a second to shoot two of my best friends with a Bat Bogey Hex, but thought that there was no reason to scare Andrew away when we'd only started dating a few weeks ago. I turned my body so that I didn't have to deal with the boys and started talking to Andrew.

_Scorpius' POV_

I woke up a lot earlier than I usually do. The only reason I've made it to classes on time for the past six years was because Albus used to throw things at me until I woke up. When I open the curtains in my room, the sun has barely risen over the Black Lake.

At least there's a reason for my lack of sleep. It's driving me crazy that Rose is dating Andrew Thomas. I know it's none of my business to tell her who to date, but I had hoped that when she decided to date someone, it'd be someone who actually liked me, and I wouldn't mind having around. Instead she picks someone who has hated me since we started at Hogwarts.

Even though it takes me forever to wake up, once I'm up there's no possible way I can fall back to sleep. Since I'm sure Rose isn't up yet, and there won't be any awkward encounters, I take my shower and throw on the first muggle clothes I grab from my drawers. I'm far too tired to deal with the way I look.

I might as well make use of the common room, so I throw myself on one of the couches and think about how I'm going to handle the whole Andrew situation. I know Rose would appreciate it if I at least try to get along with the kid, and maybe I will if he can keep his insults and comments to himself.

I'm not possitive how long I've been on the couch, but I hear noise from Rose's room, and the shower turns on. After another long stretch of thinking, she nudges my leg and we're off to breakfast.

The walk down to the Great Hall seems like it takes ten times longer than usual, because I'm not about to say anything, and she hasn't either. Usually neither of us can shut up, so it's very awkward, and I definitely don't like it.

I do a little internal cheer when I spot Al standing with Alice, but of course before I can get out of this situation, she's grabbing my hand and asking me to give Andrew a chance. I nod just so I'm not ignoring her completely, and break free from her grasp to meet Al. I pass Alice on the way there and give her a small smile, one she returns, and I'm sure she'll be interrogating Rose about what just happened.

"What was that all about?" I groan, not expecting any questions from Al.

"She wants me to give her boyfriend a chance. Thanks for telling me about that, by the way." A guilty look passes quickly through his eyes.

"Sorry man, but she told me not to tell you. She wanted to tell you herself. I wasn't happy about it either. Thomas is a stupid git. Maybe she'll talk some sense into him, mate."

"Please, Al. Merlin himself couldn't talk sense into that prick."

"You're probably right. How's the dorm?" I know Al well enough to know that he's only changing the subject because he doesn't want to talk about Rose's new relationship, so I humor him.

"I'll show you after breakfast, as long as she's not planning on giving him the tour."

The food comes up as we start a conversation about the spots Al's going to need to fill for Quidditch, and all of a sudden, Rose is crashing into the seat next to Albus and pointing at the door. Alice is stalking towards us with a red face, and I'd bet a million Galleons that Rose said something about Alice's undying love for Al.

I'm about to continue discussing Quidditch with Al, when Rose's stupid new boyfriend comes slithering up to her. I can't hold in my laugh when she elbows him in the side, because it's exactly what I want to do to him. I'd use a little more force, though. Al is sitting across from me, rolling his eyes and laughing, too. It's almost too much to handle.

"So babe," Even his voice drives me crazy. He's been sitting here for two seconds, and he's already called her two different cutesy pet names. Rose and I used to laugh at James when his girlfriend would call him names like that last year. I guess I missed a lot not going to the Burrow this summer.

"When's the first Hogsmeade visit going to be?" Rose looks at me for a second and then back at Thomas.

"I'm not sure I have to talk to Scorpius about it." His eyes snap up at me from across the table, a hardness settling in them that wasn't there a second ago when he was looking at Rose.

"Well, make sure it won't interfere with Quidditch tryouts. There's a Chaser spot with my name on it this year." It's all I can do not to laugh out loud at his remark. Al is slowly turning purple, and I'm sure he's about to burst. I nod my head towards the door and he agrees. I need to get out of here before I give Rose a reason to hit me with a Bat Bogey Hex. I can hear Alice chuckling softly next to me, and I've never been so glad to know her. At least one girl can see through his macho bullshit.

"See ya, Alice." I nod a little at Rose, still determined not to engage in conversation with her, and stand up to exit the hall. Al all but runs out of the room, and once he's out the door, he collapses against the stone wall. I'm not sure I've ever heard him laugh so hard. It takes him a few minutes to calm down, and get enough breath to be able to talk again.

"Can you believe that idiot? He's tried out for the team for the last five years, and hasn't made it once. Does he not realize I'm the captain, and I hate him?"

"I think you, me and Alice are the only ones not fooled by his supposed charm. You know Rose will support him in his Quidditch dreams."

Al takes off his glasses and wipes the tears that were streaming down his face from his outburst.

"I know, mate. If we didn't have to be at tryouts, I would tell you to schedule the Hogsmeade trip for the same day, but I need to stock up."

"Yeah, I'm running low on Dung Bombs, and your uncle told me he had something special for me when I saw him in Diagon Alley the other day."

Al finally composed himself enough to stand up, and we began the trip up to my new dorm. Rose's little announcement has made the idea of spending the year with her a whole lot less exciting. I know she said she wouldn't bring him to the dorm if I didn't want, but I really have no say in what she does. It's my last year here, and I'm not about to be miserable the whole time. The least I can do right now is make fun of Al a little bit.

"So I was thinking of asking Alice to go to Hogsmeade with me. What do you think?" I've known about Alice's feelings for Al ever since she told Rose, but I'm also the only one who knows that Al is just as in love with her as she is with him. As I expected, he stops walking, and just stares at me. I'm not sure if he looks like he's going to cry, or punch me in the face. Maybe both. I know it's mean, but I can't help it.

"I mean, she's looking really good these days. The summer was definitely kind to her. I see why you like her so much, and you weren't going to ask her were you?" I've been hounding him to ask her since I found out about his secret crush, but he refuses to do so, and makes up ridiculous reasons why he can't.

"Are...are you serious?"

"Nah. Just hoping some competition will get your sorry arse in gear." My negative answer finally kick starts him, and he catches up with me, punching me in the arm.

"You're a dick. You know I can't ask her out. She doesn't like me that way, and Uncle Neville's a lot more intimidating than most people realize." Now it's my turn to laugh hysterically. Professor Longbottom is one of the nicest people I've ever met, and he's been my favorite teacher since first year.

"Longbottom's about as intimidating as a pygmy puff, Al. You're just scared." I can't tell him flat out that Alice likes him, because I promised Rose I wouldn't. I just don't understand how they can feel exactly the same way about each other, and neither of them realize it.

We finally arrive at Aberforth's picture, and I give him the password, as Al keeps mumbling about Longbottom.

His reaction is the same as mine was the night before, and he runs around looking in all the rooms. I flop onto one of the couches as he continues exploring. When he's done and his curiosity satisfied, he throws himself down next to me.

"You definitely got the better deal this year. If I didn't love Quidditch so much, I'd definitely trade you Captain for Head Boy. You're so lucky, now you don't have to deal with Thomas, Creevey or McLaggen. Creevey was already complaining last night about how Rose was taken, and he'd never have a shot. It was pathetic."

"I have a feeling I'll be seeing Thomas around here a lot this year. Hopefully Rose will come-" My sentence is interrupted by the portrait hole opening, and Rose walking in, followed by Alice and the boyfriend, much to my dismay. So much for him not coming to the common room. Al gives me a look of disgust, and rolls his eyes, but perks up a considerable amount a second later when Alice sits down next to him.

Thomas sits on the chair across from us and pulls Rose into his lap. I'm all of a sudden very thankful that I didn't eat much breakfast, because the whole thing is making me very nauseous. The git has the nerve to throw me a dirty look, and all I can think is that this is going to be a very, very long year.

**A/N: That's where I'm going to end this now. I know there was no late night chats, but this was more of a background chapter/getting things rolling. Next chapter will have much more drama and late night activity. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter was a lot easier for me to write than the last couple have been. It's also a lot longer than my other ones have been. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 5_

_Meddling _

_Scorpius' POV_

We've been at school for three weeks, and honestly, they've been the longest three weeks of my life. The only time I've talked to Rose is when absolutely necesary, which basically means when we've had Head duty. For twenty one days, I've had to deal with Andrew Thomas in the Head's common room, for at least an hour a night. It's always after dinner, when Rose is done in the library. I know exactly what he's doing, and it's really pissing me off.

He doesn't want me to be alone with Rose. He even went as far as to say something to me about it. It was about a week ago, and I was on the way back from dinner with Al when I saw him in front of Aberforth's picture.

"I need to talk to you, Malfoy." He spat my name out like it was a rancid treacle tart, and Al had enough sense to realize he wanted nothing to do with the conversation that was about to happen. With a mumbled goodbye, he sped off down the hall towards the Gryffindor common room. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Thomas.

"I'm listening."

"I don't want you hanging around Rose. She's with me now, not you, and I see the way you look at her. She's mine." I knew Rose would have a fit if she heard how possesive he was being, but since we hadn't been speaking, I knew she'd probably think I was making it up. I was in no mood to stand there and listen to him, so I tried to push past him and he grabbed my arm. I looked down at his hand, and back up at him.

"If you know whats good for you, you'll let go of my arm, Thomas." He snorted, as if my words were funny, but I didn't miss that he let go quickly. "Rose is one of my best friends, and I don't know who you think you are, but if you think I'm going to stop talking to her just because some tosser she happens to be dating tells me to, you're sorely mistaken." With that, I mumbled the password to Aberforth and left him in the hall, knowing that if I didn't leave, I would have punched him square in his obnoxious face.

Later that night, Rose had brought him with her after the library as usual, and I happened to be in the common room working on my Herbology essay for Professor Longbottom. The slick git gave me a dirty look the second he saw me. Rose was in front of him, so of course she saw nothing that he did.

If she didn't like him so much, there's not a doubt in my mind I would have kicked his arse already, even if it would've gotten me in trouble with McGonagall. I don't even have rounds with Rose. She made a decision to put each of us on a rotation with the new fifth year prefects, to make sure they know what they're supposed to do. I'd bet ten Galleons that he put that idea in her head.

It's finally the morning of Quidditch try outs, something I've been looking forward to since we won last year's Quidditch Cup. I know I don't have to worry about my position as Keeper, which makes the whole thing much less stressful. Tryouts are right after breakfast, and Al has been freaking out since he met me outside the Head's dorm this morning. Being captain, he's the one to make the decisions, and he keeps mumbling to himself about positions and Quaffles.

We've been sitting for a few minutes when Rose comes into the Great Hall, accompanied by a swaggering Thomas, all dressed in brand new Quidditch robes. I groan, knowing we'll be forced to listen to ridiculous stories about how amazing he is, even though it's his last year here, and he still hasn't made the team.

At this point, the mere sound of his voice grates my nerves, and I'm immensely relieved when Al nudges me.

"Ready?" I nod, and get up, ready to walk down to the pitch.

"Good luck, Al," I hear Rose say, and a part of me waits for her to say the same to me, until of course I remember who she's sitting with. Shaking my head, I turn and head toward the door. After a few seconds, I hear footsteps behind me, and Al's suddenly next to me. I haven't told him about what Thomas said to me that night, because he's been so stressed about tryouts. Even Alice hasn't been able to get him to calm down, which is rare.

"So, we need two Beaters and a Chaser." I know what he's going to say before he gets it all out, because he's been talking Quidditch non-stop since school started. We're replacing Alice's older brother Frank, who was a Chaser, and Fred Weasley and James, Al's brother, who may as well have been Al's uncles Fred and George, the way they worked together.

"I've been trying to convince Hugo to be our new Chaser, but I don't know if I got through to him or not." This is news to me. If Hugo agrees to tryout, he'd be my new favorite person. I've played with him enough at the Burrow to know that he's good enough to be on the team, he's just never tried out. He's got height on Thomas, too, even as a fifth year. Luckily, he inherited Mr. Weasley's lanky build, and his arms are definitely longer, which is good for clutch catches.

"Did you mention who else is trying out for the position? That might be enough fuel for him." I know for a fact that Hugo hates Andrew Thomas almost as much as I do. I can almost see the lightbulb going off in Al's head, meaning he hadn't thought of that. Luckily we haven't made it too far out of the Entrance Hall, and Al turns around and starts to run back.

"You're a genius, Scorp. I'll meet you at the pitch. HUGO WEASLEY!" He's screaming down the center aisle of the Great Hall, and I'm sure Minnie will have words with him about it.

I laughed at him, and made my way to the pitch. Unfortunately, right before I made it to the locker rooms, I ran into a roadblock. An annoying, bleach blonde road block.

"SCORPY! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The she-devil herself, Violet Finnigan, was making her way towards me at an alarming rate. There was a flurry of hair flipping and eyelash fluttering and a shirt that was far too tight for my liking.

"Violet." I knew better than to call her Finnigan. I'd always thought if I stuck to the last name, it'd hold her off, but all it did was earn me what she apparently thought was a flirty slap on the arm, and a plea to call her Violet.

"Are you nervous, Scorpy?" The nickname made me cringe. What's worse is that she'd somehow managed to grab hold of my hand. I shook my head, both to answer her and try to hide my disgust.

"I bet you'll do great. Albus would have to be crazy to not keep you on the team."

"Er, thanks Violet, but I really have to be getting ready." I tried to pull my hand from her grip, but she pressed herself closer to me, and I knew I was in trouble. She leaned up on her tiptoe and got very close to my ear. It took everything I had not to shudder.

"I'll be cheering for you, Scorpy. Maybe after you make the team again, we can celebrate, you know, privately."

"Oh, er...I have a lot of work to do after this, but maybe-" Suddenly someone calling my name saved me from having to answer her question, and as I turned around, I was able to break free. I had never been happier to see Albus in my life.

"Lets go, Malfoy, or I'm cutting you from the team."

Next to me, Violet let out a squeak of protest, clearly not getting the sarcasm. This girl really needs to get her head out of the clouds. It would probably help if she stopped bleaching her hair. I've been on the team since second year, and my best friend is the captain. It's clearly a joke. I could feel her getting ready to babble about how mean Al was being, but before she could start, I interrupted.

"Well, er, I've got to go. Don't want to get cut, you know?" I tried to smile, but I'm sure it came out more as a grimace.

"Good Luck, Scorpy!" She squeaked, and I grabbed Al, who was busy trying to hide the fact that he was laughing, and dragged him to the pitch.

"Thanks, mate. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it. Thanks to your brill idea, Hugh's on board. I just feel bad for you, because I reckon once he doesn't make the team, he'll be bitching to Rose tonight in your common room. If he gets annoying, you could always lock yourself in your room with a good silencing charm."

"As long as I can see his face when his Quidditch dreams are crushed for a sixth time, it will all be worth it."

We're the first two on the pitch, but Hugo joins us a few minutes later.

"You're my hero, Hugh." He shrugs, but I know he's as excited to get rid of Thomas as we are. Behind him I see Finnigan filing into the bleachers, followed by a gaggle of her slag friends, who are all equallly as bleached and moronic as she is.

"Anything to get rid of that slick git. Everytime I try to talk to Rosie, he's all over her. It makes me want to vomit."

The pitch gets progressively more crowded, and at one point, I see Andrew Thomas slinking towards us. The way he's moving has me wondering why _he _wasn't sorted into Slytherin. He's speaking loudly about how the spot is his, and I smirk at Hugo, who rolls his eyes and pretends to get sick on the grass. After a few more minutes, the stands are packed, as well as the grass of the pitch, which is swarming with Gryffindors fighting for the coveted three open spots.

When Al is sure that no one else is coming to try out, he casts a Sonorus charm, and everyone quiets down. Having heard the speeches and tryout agendas for five years, I tune out and survey the crowd, making sure to avoid the area where I know Finnigan has settled.

My eyes come to rest upon Rose and Alice, who are sitting with the other Gryffindor seventh years. I'm still angry that Rose couldn't even wish me luck this morning, but I know I can't let it get to me during tryouts. I catch Alice's eye and she waves to me. As I'm waving back, I see Rose look in my direction, obviously trying to see who Alice is waving to. I drop my hand quickly, and turn back to Al. He's just finishing his speech, and attempting to round everyone up.

As tryouts go on, there's the usual dismissal of first years trying to sneak on to the team, the girls who come just to try and date the Quidditch players, and those who obviously have no business even riding a broom. When Al is finished weeding out all those who are absolute no's, he splits the remaining players into what position they're trying out for. Since I made the team, I'd only been at tryouts to help. Gryffindor's policy, as long as I'd been at school, was that they only tried out positions they needed. The members of the team who were already on were just at tryouts to help out.

Long story short, after two hours, Hugo Weasley was given the spot of Chaser on the team, and we'd found two new beaters. As expected, Andrew Thomas had a fit, and at one point I thought he was going to punch either Hugo, Al, or both. He stormed off the pitch, claiming the only reason Hugo had beaten him was because he was related to the Seeker and another Chaser, who happened to be Lily. I would have felt a little guilty, since that had been the only reason he'd tried out, but Hugo had also been a thousand times better than Thomas. If Rose and I were speaking, I'd feel bad that she'd have to deal with his temper, but at this point, I could care less.

We were having a good laugh at his reaction when Alice and Rose came running across the pitch. Rose jumped on Hugo, squealing.

"I'm so proud of you Hughie! Daddy's going to be so happy you finally tried out!" She kissed his cheek, and he rolled his eyes, but hugged her back and thanked her. She was right, it would mean a lot to Mr. Weasley that Hugo was on the team. When he put her back on her feet, her face seemed to drop a little.

"I should probably go be with Andrew. I know he'll be upset, but I really am happy for you Hugo." With that she turned and left. Alice rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Here's hoping she drops that load of dung soon. I can't stand him." We all nodded in agreement with her statement, and I saw Al staring at her with that glazed look in his eyes that he gets a lot when he's around her. Since I was in such a good mood because of Thomas' rejection, I decided it was time to mess with him some more. It had been three weeks, and we had scheduled the Hogsmeade trip for next Saturday. He still hadn't asked Alice to go, so he was going to face the wrath of Scorpius.

Walking towards Alice, I slung my arm around her shoulder. She looked up at me and smirked, but didn't move my arm. We'd been friends long enough that she was basically like a sister to me. I wanted her to be happy, and if that meant that making Albus jealous so that he'd get a move on and finally ask her out, I'd do what I had to.

"Can I help you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Well Miss Longbottom, I was wondering if you fancy coming to Hogsmeade with me, since _somebody _ditched us for her lame boyfriend." Across the little group that we'd formed on the pitch, I saw Albus' eyes go wide behind his glasses, and then narrow dangerously at me. He knew exactly what I was doing, but it was his own fault. Alice clearly knew I wasn't being serious, but Albus tended to forget how to think like a normal person when he was jealous. Next to me, Alice giggled.

"You know you're not my type, Scorp. I _am _running low on Sugar Quills, though. I guess I could survive a few hours in Hogsmeade with you." I saw Albus slump a little. "Will you be joining us Mr. Potter?"

At least one of them had summoned a little bit of Gryffindor courage. Just as I had seen him deflate seconds ago, Al was magically standing at his full height, beaming at Alice, and nodding.

"Sorted. Let's go, Alice. I'm famished. I think a visit to the kitchens is in order." I offered her my elbow and she rolled her eyes at me, but hooked her arm through mine regardless. As we walked away, I heard a little grunt, and looked over at Albus, who was moping again.

"Coming, Al?" I wiggled my eyebrows at him and was rewarded with a rude hand gesture, but he followed nonetheless. There was no way he'd miss time with his lovely Alice.

The day passed quickly. After a trip to the kitchens to celebrate the success of our plan to knock Andrew Thomas down a notch, we went back to the Gryffindor common room and played Exploding Snap and chess until it was time for dinner.

In the Great Hall, Rose was already there, sitting with Lily and the git. Lily was already rolling her eyes. I'm sure that he was still complaining, but I've had far too good a day to care. Alice sat next to Rose, and Al and I sat next to Lily. I had to supress the urge to call her "my favorite little chaser." I knew insulting him in front of Rose would just make the whole situation worse. Hugo and the rest of the Weasley cousins came in. By the look Thomas was giving Hugh, you would have thought that Hugo killed his owl or something. I swear he's one of the biggest gits I've ever met. What Rose sees in him, I'll never know. What I do know is that Rose is definitely too good for him. She deserves better.

Thomas finally turned his glare from Hugo to his mashed potatoes, so I leaned over to Al to ask him something I'd been curious about since I learned of Rose's new relationship status.

"Al." He was staring at Alice, color me surprised. I elbowed him in the side, but he just brushed my arm aside and kept staring.

"Albus Severus Potter. I need to ask you something, you creepy sod." Lily giggled, and Al gave me a dirty look, and then went right back to staring at Alice as if she was a piece of meat. What she sees in him, I'll never know.

"You're such a wanker, Al." I knew him well enough to know that once he had his sights set on Alice, there was little I could do to break the spell. I turned to Lily, who was rolling her eyes at her brother.

"Since you're not a pathetic git, can I ask you something?" She laughed and nodded.

"What does your uncle think of this terrible situation?" I tilted my head across the table at the offending party, and Lily beamed. She leaned in closer and whispered to me.

"He's on our side! He hates the git. Course, he thinks no one is good enough for his Princess, but he has especially strong feelings towards this one. When Rose first brought him to the Burrow, he sulked for hours. Wouldn't even play chess with Hugo."

"That's brilliant." Rose was a huge daddy's girl, and if Mr. Weasley was opposed to something, it could very well help a bad situation.

After dinner, the Weasley clan, Alice and I made our way to the seventh floor. The Head's dorm was before the Gryffindor common room, and as the cousins said their goodnights to me, I pulled Alice aside. Al gave me a dirty look again, as he had when I jokingly asked Alice to Hogsmeade.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Al. I'll walk her back to the common room after I talk to her." Al gave me the finger, and walked away grumbling. I said the password, and was very thankful that Rose and the git weren't in the common room. I needed to talk to Alice about what he had said to me. I figured if Rose had talked to anyone, it would be Alice. We sat down on the couch, and she looked at me expectantly.

"Has Rose said anything to you about me lately?"

"What do you mean? Why would she say anything?"

"Well, the only times she's talked to me since we got here were for Head duties, and er..." All of a sudden, I wasn't sure if I wanted to get into this with Alice. She was normally a very calm person, but I'd seen her get angry, and I wasn't sure I should have brought it up in the first place.

"And what?"

"Well, her git of a boyfriend was waiting outside the dorm for me a few weeks ago, and he told me he didn't want me talking to her, because she was his." As I expected, Alice's jaw dropped, and she jumped up.

"HE WHAT? Is that why things have been weird between you two?" She began pacing back and forth across the common room, muttering to herself. "Who does he think he is? You're one of her best friends. He can't tell you that you're not allowed to talk to her. Have you tried?"

I shook my head.

"He's always around, especially here. He's like her shadow. I asked her a question in Transfiguration the other day and he gave me a look like I'd just asked her to marry me and move to Bulgaria. I just don't-"

I was cut off as the portrait hole opened, and Rose and the offending sod made their way in. Rose lit up at the sight of her best friend. Thomas threw himself on one of the couches across from me as if he owned the place, and sneered at me.

"Alice! What are you doing here? Were you waiting for me?"

"No. I er, I was just talking to Scorpius about something. I have to go now, though." Rose's face fell for a second, but then stretched back into a smile.

"Oh! Well I'll see you at breakfast." Alice nodded and looked my way.

"I'll walk you back, Alice. I promised Al." Alice waved and Rose and then we were on our way towards Gryffindor tower, where I was sure that Al was about to get informed of what I'd told Alice.

**A/N: I hope you liked this! I'm already working on the next chapter, so hopefully it will be out sometime in the next week or two.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited. I just reread what I've wrote so far, and I realize that there hasn't been much actual Rose/Scorpius interaction. I have a reason for that, and I apologize if people aren't liking the story because of it, but I promise, it will start a little in this chapter, and next chapter will be full of it. The first half of this chapter has a lot of Al/Alice goodness, which I've really enjoyed writing as well. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 6_

_Hogsmeade _

_Scorpius' POV_

As expected, Al went balistic when Alice told him about my encounter with Thomas. I calmed him down by telling him that if Rose didn't want to talk to me, and wanted to date the git, it was her choice. I'd been friends with her long enough to know that a bad choice of boyfriend on her part wasn't going to stop me from being her friend when she finally came to her senses and stopped dating Andrew Thomas.

The week between tryouts and the Hogsmeade visit seemed to move in slow motion. Saturday finally rolled around after a long seven nights locked in my bedroom. I met Al and Alice in the Gryffindor common room. Al was practically drooling over Alice, since she's ditched the school robes, and was currently wearing a pair of shorts that didn't leave much to the imagination. Not that she looked like a slag or anything. I'll admit that Alice is cute, and I can see why Al fancies her, but she's just always been somewhat of a little sister to me. I'm just not sure how she still hasn't realized how he feels about her.

"Ready to go, Als?" They both rolled their eyes at the convenient nickname that I've always used when addressing both of we walked down to the Great Hall, we pass the Head's dorm, and I'm struck with an amazing idea.

"Hey, Alice? You want to mess with Rose a little? Seeing as you are my date, and everything."

Alice was still angry that Rose was being stubborn and shutting me out, and I could see a glint in her eye that told me she was in before she said anything.

"Rose hasn't been around enough to know that the three of us are going to Hogsmeade together. I say we take our little 'date' seriously during breakfast, and see how long it takes for her to freak out."

"Scorp! I'm so proud of you, finally putting your inner Malfoy to work! Of course I want to mess with Rose. She's been a pretty crap best friend lately." She wrapped an arm around Al and I. "At least I still have my two favorite guys."

I swear I saw Al swoon when she called him her guy. I made a mental note to sit him down and make him face his fears. I wasn't sure how many more sappy looks I could take from them before I lost my mind. If he didn't get a hold of himself, someone else was going to realize what a catch Alice was, and steal her right out from under him.

I held out my hand to Alice. Al gave me a threatening look, which I took as a warning not to try anything. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Ready, sweetheart?" Alice knew exactly what I meant. Over the last month, it seemed that it was impossible for Thomas to call Rose anything but ridiculous pet names. I wondered if maybe he'd forgotten her real name.

"All set, hot stuff!" Al scoffed, which set Alice on a giggling spree as she took my hand. Her head was thrown back as we walked into the hall. We sat down across from Rose and Thomas. Rose's eyes were wide, and her mouth was hanging open. The plan was going great so far, and I was having a hard time keeping a straight face. I busied myself with pumpkin juice, hoping to hide my smile behind the goblet.

The three of us started eating as if I hadn't just entered the Great Hall holding hands with the girl my best mate's been in love with for years. I could almost see the shock dripping off Rose's face.

"Uh, Ali?" Even her voice was high pitched, and I could detect about 20 different emotions.

"Yes, Rosie?" If Alice wasn't as brilliant at Herbology, I'd advise her to go into acting.

"Can I talk to you for a second? Outside?"

This was even better than I expected. It hadn't even been five minutes and she was already losing it.

"Sure!" Alice turned my way and kissed my cheek. I had to hand it to her, she was really laying it on thick. "Be right back, Scorp! Don't miss me too much!"

Al wasn't looking too happy, but as the girls made their way down the center aisle and out of the hall, I nudged him and tilted my head after them. We hurried after them and stood where we could hear them, but be out of sight.

"Have you lost your mind, Alice? What are you doing with Scorpius?" I heard Alice snort.

"I'm perfectly sane, thank you very much, Rose. We're going to Hogsmeade. It's not like we're getting married. I might as well have some fun, right?"

"Fun? Fun, Alice? What about Al?"

Next to me, I heard Al suck in a breath. I smirked and looked over at Al, who looked close to hyperventilation. I hoped that Rose was going where I thought she was. Maybe he'd finally believe what I'd been telling him for years.

"You've been in love with him for years. Years, Alice! Now you're going to Hogsmeade with his best friend?" Thank you Rose Weasley.

Al slid down the wall with his head in his hands. I knealt down in front of him.

"You okay, mate?"

After a few seconds, he took his hands away from his face. What I saw made me burst out laughing, and I had to bite my fist so we wouldn't be heard. His smile was so wide that it looked as if he'd taken a large swig of Amortentia. I was a little concerned that he was going to rip his face in half.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear what Rose just said?"

"Al, I've been telling you to ask her since the first time you told me you fancied her. I see how it is, you only believe family members when it come to love."

I hear the girls voices again, and kick myself that Al's little fit made me miss the rest of their conversation. I stand quickly, dragging Al with me.

"Wipe that look of your face, you sod!" I'm hissing at Al as the girls footsteps get louder. Al manages to pull himself together just as they round the corner. There's still a red tint to his face, but I can pass it off as anything if I need to.

"Hi boys! Are you ready to go, Scorp?"

Rose shoots me a look, which I pointedly ignore, and I hold out my arm to Alice. I nod at Al.

"See you later, mate." We already planned to meet him in Zonko's. I just hope he can still get there in his love induced stupor.

"Do you guys want to meet us later for a Butterbeer?" She throws Al a wink, and he nods in the affirmative, much too violently. Alice turns to Rose, waiting for an answer. She looks uncomfortable, and I decide to swallow my pride and break our bout of silence.

"You should come, Rose. Bring Thomas with you."

Al and Alice simultaneously snap their heads my way, but I keep my gaze on Rose. Finally, she nods.

"Meet us at 2? Three Broomsticks?" She nods again, and turns to walk away. While she still hadn't spoken to me, two nods were more than I'd gotten in a month, other than our Head duties.

Once she was out of hearing range, I realize that Al and Alice are still staring at me.

"What was that Scorp?" Clearly my attempt at kindness was enough to bring Albus back to reality.

"She's still one of my best friends, Al. One of _our _best friends." This seemed to be enough for them, and we head to Hogsmeade, intent on visiting all the places we'd missed over the summer.

After getting dragged into the plant store by Alice, we finally made it to WWW, where Al's Uncle George was waiting for us.

As promised, he gifted me with the newest model of his Extendable Ears, making a lame joke about the lack of his own ear. As he spoke to Al and I, I saw Alice staring at the large display of Pygmy Puffs, with a small smile on her face. When I looked back at Al and George, I saw that Al had focused in on Alice, and had the usual sappy look on his face. I nudged George, who looked at Al, and didn't even need to follow Al's stare to know what he was looking at.

"Hey, loverboy." Al whipped his head to his Uncle, who reached in his pocket and flipped Al a Galleon, which was the exact price for each Pygmy Puff. "Go buy one for your girlfriend, on me."

Al started sputtering, and denying George's statement, but George just laughed.

"Al, you might be able to fool some people, but you forget that I watched Ron drool over Hermione for seven years. I know what it looks like." He pushed Al towards Alice. When Al righted himself, he gave George and I the finger before shoving his hands in his pocket and starting his journey across the store. I could almost see him trying to pluck up the courage. He looked back at us once more, and I gave him a little wave of encouragement. Right before he got to her, he ran through the standard Al routine, which included the hopeless attempt to flatten his hair, and pushing up his glasses to make sure they were all the way up his nose.

George pulled me aside as we watched Al, hoping he wouldn't mess up.

"What's with him today, Scorp? He seems even jumpier than usual about the little lady."

I explained what we had overheard in the Great Hall, and he lit up.

"That's my Rosie! Now maybe he'll believe what we've been telling him for years. Speaking of my lovely niece, where is she on this fine day?" I tried hard not to roll my eyes, but not much gets by George.

"She's with the boyfriend." George scoffed and shook his head.

"I'd been hoping she'd gotten rid of that wanker already. Kid's a right git."

"Trust me, I know." I told him what had happened between him and I and I could almost see the wheels going in his brain, probably thinking of ways to hex him.

"You know, Scorpius, I did come up with a..." He was interrupted by a female voice.

"I know you aren't planning on hexing your niece's boyfriend, George Weasley." George winced, and I turned around to see Al's Aunt Angelina, arms crossed and glaring at her husband.

"Of course, I'm not, dear." He slung an arm around his wife, and kissed her temple. "Have I told you how ravishing you look today?" She rolled her eyes at him and turned towards me.

"Don't listen to him, Scorpius. She'll figure it out on her own. I just hope she does before he does something stupid."

Before I could answer, Al and Alice had made their way to us. There was a blue Pygmy Puff riding on Alice's shoulder.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley!" Alice was clearly bubbling with excitement. "Look, Scorp! Al said he'd buy me this! Isn't he cute? I still have to pick a name."

Mrs. Weasley was manning the register, and she came out from behind the counter and grabbed Al up in a big hug.

"Albus Potter, you're the sweetest boy." Al was turning a rather unpleasant shade of purple as she pulled back slightly and grabbed his face. "I swear you get more handsome by the minute. Don't you think, Alice?"

It took all I had not to burst out laughing, and George looked like he was in the same predicament. I watched as Al and Alice both turned bright red. Alice stuttered something out, and suddenly found her shoes very interesting. Al got a hold of himself first, and dug the Galleon out of his pocket, thrusting it toward his aunt.

"Here. For the Pygmy Puff. Bye." He turned and made to walk away. Angelina threw a wink my way, and I made a mental note to buy her flowers or something for being so awesome. I threw my arm around Alice's shoulder, making sure not to disturb her new pet.

"Ready, date of mine?" My question seemed to pull her out of her state of shock and she nodded, waving at the Weasleys as we made our way out the door to find Al.

I tried making things less awkward between the three of us, and by the time 2 o'clock rolled around, I was almost looking forward to spending time with the git. We arrived at the Three Broomsticks before Rose and Thomas, and found a booth in the back that was free, something that didn't happen very often. Al volunteered to get the first round of Butterbeer, leaving me with Alice. She was playing with her Pygmy Puff, but I had to take advantage of the time I had. I checked behind me and saw that Al was talking to Mrs. Longbottom at the bar.

"Did the Pygmy Puff come with a declaration of love?" My question got me an elbow to the ribs, and Alice turned and glared at me.

"Scorpius! People can hear you," she hissed at me, craning her head around to make sure no one was listening to our conversation. I leaned in, hoping she'd continue the conversation if I made an effort to privatize it.

"No one's listening, Ali. I don't know why you can't just tell him. How many times do Rose and I have to tell you that he feels the same way you do before you're going to believe us? You're as bad as he is. At this rate, you'll be in the geriatric ward at St. Mungo's and you'll still be skirting around your feelings for each other."

Alice opened her mouth to answer me, but instead of speaking, her eyes traveled up.

"Um, hi guys. Are we interrupting anything?"

Excellent, our two other guests had arrived. I hoped that I wasn't going to regret inviting them to tag along. I had just hoped to make more progress with Alice, because if she and Al didn't get their act together soon, I'd be pushing their heads together and forcing them to snog.

Alice popped up from her bent position and smiled at Rose.

"Rosie! Of course you're not interrupting anything. Al's just off getting Butterbeer. Sit, sit!"

Rose smiled at Alice and slid into the booth across from us.

"Be back in a sec, babe. I'll grab us some drinks." He gave her what I'm sure he thought was a winning smile and swaggered over to the bar. It reminded me of the stories Mum had told me about Dad while they were in school. I looked away from the table and rolled my eyes. How Rose didn't see what a prat this kid was, I wasn't sure.

An awkward silence fell over the table for a long minute, something that never would have happened before Rose got herself a boyfriend. Finally she spoke up.

"Is that your Pygmy Puff, Alice? It's adorable."

Alice nodded and opened her mouth, but was once again interrupted, this time by Al. He was struggling to carry the three Butterbeers, so I stood and took one from him.

"Cheers, mate." I nudged him, trying to mentally communicate that he should sit next to Alice, and for a moment, I saw the hesitation in his eyes, but finally he dropped into the seat next to her. I could see the pink tinge coming to the surface of her cheeks, and winked at her. I thought for a moment about sitting next to Rose, but I knew she wouldn't appreciate me starting any trouble, so I borrowed a chair from the table next to us. Just as I took my first sip of Butterbeer, Thomas threw himself onto the bench between Rose and I, and slung an arm around her. She thanked him for the drink, and started a conversation with Alice about what she'd name her new Puff, leaving Al, Thomas and I in silence. I was staring into my mug, but I could feel eyes on me, and I didn't have to look up to know who it was. I was really getting sick of this sod.

We were at Three Broomsticks for much longer than I would have liked, but I knew that Alice hadn't talked to Rose much, and I wasn't going to deny her time with her best friend. As the git of the hour launched into another story about how amazing he was at something, I realized that if I stayed one more minute, I was going to do something I'd end up regretting. I pushed my chair back from the table and stood up.

"Thanks for the Butterbeer Al, I just remembered something I have to do. Can you take Alice back to the castle when you come?" Al must have known what was going on, so he just nodded. I bent down and kissed the top of Alice's head.

"You're a great date, Ali." She winked at me and laughed.

As I left Three Broomsticks, I made sure to say goodbye to Mrs. Longbottom, who gave me a smile that was so like Alice's it was scary. On the way back to the castle, all I could think about was what an arse Andrew Thomas was. That put me in an even fouler mood, because I didn't want to spend anymore time debating how one person could annoy the magic out of me so easily.

When I finally made it to the Head's dorm, I threw myself onto my favorite scarlet couch and toed my shoes off. The pillow I'd aimed for toppled over and landed on top of my face, but I couldn't be bothered to move it.

I must have fallen asleep, because later I heard the portrait swing open, and it was a lot darker than I remembered it being. I heard footsteps, but miraculously there was only one pair. The light gait that I'd come to know over the last 6 years of my life. I heard her sit down, but I wasn't sure where, and I wasn't about to move the pillow. After a few minutes with only the crackling of the fireplace echoing through the room, I heard her voice.

"So, um, how was your date, Scorpius?" I turned over and the pillow fell, allowing me to search for her. I found her sitting in the chair in front of the fireplace, looking as if she were surrounded by flames. It was oddly beautiful, especially with her red hair. I raised an eyebrow at her and snorted quietly.

"You and I both know it wasn't a real date, Rose." She nodded her head, but didn't say anything else. "I was just hoping your dim cousin would get jealous and do something about it."

If this had been last year, I would have launched into everything from how Al overheard her conversation with Rose, and the part her uncle had in the purchasing of Alice's new pet, but things were different now. I was fully aware that until Rose split with her boyfriend, things between us were not going to be the same as they had in previous years.

Rose nodded at my words, and stood up. So much for a conversation. She made her way towards the room with the 'R' on the door. She opened the door, but before she went through it, she turned around and spoke.

"Thanks for inviting us today. I know you don't like Andrew, but it was good to be with you guys." I wasn't sure how to react to her words, so I just nodded once, and she continued into her room shutting the door after her.

I sat there for a long time on the couch, trying to work out how things had gotten this bad between us. It had been about an hour, when I realized that I was the one being stupid. Rose was one of the best friends I'd ever had, and no idiot boyfriend was going to keep me from talking to her when I wanted to. I was going to have to fight to get my Rosie back.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is a huge chapter. Lots of big things are going to happen for all the main characters. Hopefully I've done it justice. At the beginning of this story, I was having a lot of trouble getting inspired, but after the last two chapters, I've been feeling really good about it. Hope you like it!**

_Chapter 7_

_Als and Arses_

_Scorpius' POV_

I slept better that night than I had since I came to school. I even woke up early enough to go for a fly before breakfast. There were no Quidditch practices scheduled, so I had the pitch to myself. I charmed a Quaffle and practiced my keeping, hoping to stay sharp for our first match of the season against Ravenclaw.

I'm not sure what time it was, but when the sun was fully up, and Hagrid was outside tending to his pumpkin patch with Fang, I headed inside.

When I made it back to the dorm, I could hear the shower running. Rose has always liked long showers, so I decided to finish the Potions essay I'd been putting off. Just as I was finishing the last sentence, the water turned off. Once I heard the bathroom door open, and Rose's bedroom door shut, I headed in to take my own shower.

By the time I made it to the Great Hall, it was fairly crowded. As I walked down the center aisle to where my friends and Thomas were sitting, I could hear all the gossip from yesterday's Hogsmeade trip floating through the large room. The funniest bit was definitely the young Hufflepuff girl trying to convince her friend that Alice and I were now engaged.

I sat down next to Alice, and across from Rose, something that would definitely help with my new plan.

"Morning Als, Rosie. How's everybody's morning going so far?" My seemingly innocent question caused quite a stir on our little area of table. Al and Alice whipped their heads towards me at the same time. I saw Thomas' knuckles turn white around his fork, clearly angry that I'd acknowledged Rose in front of him. I might as well make his anger worth it. I just hoped my actions weren't going to cause Rose any distress. I leaned across the table towards her, gesturing at our best friends.

"Have they always been this dramatic?" My question got a laugh from Rose, and it was in that instance that I realized just how much I'd missed my best friend.I returned to my side of the table and through my arm around Alice.

"Have you guys heard the news?" When my question was met with blank stares, I continued. "Apparently, Alice and I spent quite a romantic day together yesterday, and we're now engaged. I haven't recieved one congratulations yet, though. You'll be my best man right, Al?"

Rose and Alice started laughing, and Al shoved my arm off Alice's shoulder.

"You're a tosser, mate."

"So, is that a no, Albus? I could always ask Hugo." All I got from him was a standard Albus Potter eye roll.

The rest of breakfast went better than I expected, and a few minuted before the first class started, Andrew Thomas muttered something to Rose and stormed out of the Great Hall. An angry Thomas and talking to my best friend again was definitely going to make the Monday more bearable.

It's been two weeks since I decided to ignore Thomas' warning, and I haven't regretted a moment of it. We've had Head meetings, and planned the next Hogsmeade trip. We've even started patrolling together, something I'm extremely happy about. The fifth years were really starting to grate on my nerves. Patrols with Rose are probably the most fun I've had all year. If I could only get her to dump her daft git of a boyfriend, everything would be perfect.

The next Hogsmeade trip is in a week and a half, and Albus came to breakfast this morning with a daisy, looking like he was about to vomit. He sat across from me, and I could see the sweat on his forehead.

"Is that for me, Alby? You really shouldn't have. You know my favorite flower is a Rose." I winked at Rose and she laughed, but Al didn't respond. I shot Rose a look, but as our eyes met, I realized what was going on. I snapped my head around towards Al.

"Albus Severus Potter, you're going to do it! You're going to ask her!" Al nodded, if you could even call it that. It was more of an involuntary jerk of his head. I heard Rose gasp, in what I'm sure was happiness. I leaned towards him, and spoke quietly, because I still hadn't told Rose we'd overheard her conversation with Alice.

"Al, mate. You heard what Rose said in the hall. She loves you! Merlin knows why, but she does. There's no reason why she'll say no. If you wait any longer, some other bloke is going to realize what a catch she is, and you'll be all alone. You're a Gryffindor, mate. Use some of that courage."

Thankfully, my words seemed to perk him up a touch, but at that exact moment, Alice was suddenly next to him, lowering herself onto the bench. I could see him visibly tense, and next to me, Rose was trying hard not to laugh. I wiggled my eyebrows at her, and she cracked up. Al seemed to be doing his fair share of cracking as well, only his was in the mental capacity. He had hidden the flower under the table, and I could see him bouncing slightly, which I knew to mean that his leg was bouncing uncontrollably.

Rose had stopped laughing, and started a conversation with Alice. They were in the middle of a discussion about an essay I'd just finished, when out of the blue, Al stood up quickly, and practically ran out of the hall. At the sudden movement, Alice broke off her conversation and looked in the direction that Al had just vanished.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know Allie Bean, he's been quiet since he got here." Alice scoffed and rolled her eyes at me.

"And of course you didn't think to ask him, did you? Typical male." I pretended to be offended, but she wasn't buying it. "I'm going to go find him. Actually make an effort, you know?"

"You wound me Alice. I don't know how I'll ever be able to forgive you." That earned me a smack on the arm, and she stood up and made her way out of the hall. Once she had gone through the doors, I looked at Rose.

"This could be the moment. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to miss it. You coming?"

Rose didn't give it a second thought. As I got up, she mumbled something to Thomas, who looked pissed, as usual. Leaving the git, we followed Alice, but from a distance. It was a few minutes before she found him by the Black Lake, sitting on the dock, staring at his flower. We found a spot on the grounds where we could see them, but they couldn't see us. As we watched, Alice settled herself down next to him.

"I'd kill for a pair of extendable ears!" Looking down at Rose, she looked like she'd been hit with multiple cheering charms. She was bouncing up and down from her spot in the grass.

"Easy there, Princess." She smacked my arm and then grabbed it as Al seemed to realize who it was sitting next to him. After a moment, he lifted the flower to Alice, who turned a pretty shade of pink as she accepted it. Neither of them said anything, though.

"Come on, Al. Make your move, mate." I knew he wouldn't hear my words, but I figured he could use as much good energy as possible. Rose must have heard me, though, and gave my arm a quick squeeze.

"Give him time, Scorpy. You know he's a chicken." I didn't miss the fact that she was getting me back for calling her Princess, but I knew I deserved it. When I looked back at the dock, I was happy to see that they were talking. Al nudged his glasses up his nose, and I could practically see him forcing his hand down so he wouldn't mess his hair up even more than it already was.

"So what do you think, Scorp? Is he just going to ask her to Hogsmeade, or what?"

As I thought about Rose's question, I realized I had no clue. I still hadn't told Rose that we'd overheard her conversation with Alice. I also wasn't sure how much courage he'd be able to muster.

"I think just Hogsmeade for now. Hopefully if it goes well, then he'll ask her to be his girlfriend. You know your cousin. He's a Gryffindow, but he's not very smooth with the ladies."

We sat there for a while watching our best friends. It was almost like a Muggle silent film, and we had to fill in the blanks with our own words.

After a few more minutes, Al ran his hand through his hair, and I knew him well enough to know that it was time. He was going to make his move. Rose saw it, too, and in unison we both leaned forward, as if a few inches would magically allow us to hear their conversation. I'm sure we looked ridiculous, but this was a big moment.

Al said something and Alice's eyes got wide. The color raced to both their faces. For a moment, neither of them moved, or even blinked, and then finally a bright smile bloomed on Alice's face, and she threw herself into his arms. I heard a small sniffle next to me. Looking down at Rose, I saw her trying to discreetly wipe a tear away without me noticing. I slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Give it up, Rosie. I know you're a sucker for all things romantic." She looked up at me, a watery smile plastered on her face.

"Sorry, Scorp. I'm just really happy for them."

"Me too, Princess. It's about time, don't you think? Why don't we give them a minute of actual privacy? Al will kill us if he knew we were watching."

As we made our way back into the school, we made small talk about things that had been going on, and Rose reminded me that we had rounds tonight. Luckily, the four of us, and Rose's wanker of a boyfriend had finished all our homework last night, so we had an entire day to do whatever we wanted. We decided to wait for the Als in the Head's common room. They knew enough to know where we'd be, unless of course they were too busy snogging, but seeing as it took Al years just to ask Alice for a date, I highly doubted that.

Sure enough, half an hour later, we heard Aberforth's voice.

"Mr. Potter and Miss Longbottom are here." Rose told him they could come in. We were sitting on the couch, and my back was to the portrait hole. Rose wiggled her eyebrows at me as the portrait swung open, and I turned around to see Al and Alice, both looking exceptionally pink and sheepish, standing in the door way. They were also holding hands. Across from me, Rose let out a tiny squeal.

"Alice! What about me? We're supposed to get married! First, Rose deserts our love for Andrew Thomas, and now you're ditching me for my best mate? Don't I deserve love, too?" All three of my supposed friends snorted at me, but when I looked at Rose, she winked. We were such good actors, pretending we had not a clue they'd show up all blissed out and lovestruck.

Before the Als could even sit down, Rose had leapt up from her side of the couch, and was dragging Alice towards her room, screaming something about girl talk over her shoulder. When they were safely in Rose's room, Al flung himself onto the couch, and rubbed his hands up and down his face. I nudged his leg with my foot.

"Way to go, mate. When should I expect to be a godfather?" Al snorted behind his hands, but I could see the corners of his mouth turned up. "So, spill. I've been waiting years for you two to get your heads out of your arses and realize you both felt the same way. I want details."

"Not much to tell, really. When she showed up on the dock, I almost fell into the lake. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but thankfully, she didn't realize anything was wrong, and once we started talking, I realized that it wasn't like I was asking McGonagall on a date. It was just Alice. Then, I was all set just to ask her for Hogsmeade, and the next thing I know, I asked her to be my girlfriend. I guess sometimes word vomit can be a little helpful. I'm just glad it's over, and she said yes, to tell you the truth, mate."

"I'm so proud of you. My little Alby is finally growing up!"

"Shut up, you tosser."

Once the girls came back from their gossip session, we had a really fun day together, only interrupted after lunch, when the git of the century decided to join us in the Head's dorm. When Al and Alice went to take a walk before dinner, I went to my bedroom, because I wasn't about to be a third wheel to Rose and Thomas. Even if I was finally talking to Rose again, I couldn't deal with him for long periods of time.

Rose and I had only been doing round for about half an hour of our two hour shift, and we had already caught four different couples snogging in broom closets and the Astronomy Tower.

"So I guess it wasn't just Al and Alice having good luck with love, today. Everyone's going crazy tonight. Must be a full moon."

After my comment, we had an entire hour of no interruptions, other than a nice chat with Nearly Headless Nick. As he floated away, we heard an unnaturally high pitched giggle from the broom closet at the other end of the corridor. Unfortunately, I had heard that giggle more than I cared to, and knew who it was straight away.

"Do you want to predict who Finnigan is slagging around with this time?" It felt like I had caught her once every time I had rounds. Rose just rolled her eyes, and we headed towards the heinous noise, which grew louder and more annoying, the closer we got. Finally we were in front of the door, and I reached out to open it. The moment the door opened, I wish I could have closed it and used a Time Turner so that we'd never have stumbled upon what was in front of us. I had been correct in my assumption that Finnigan was the girl in the closet. What I never expected was to open the door and see her shirtless, wrapped around Andrew Thomas. I could hear Rose next to me draw in a breath, and I saw red. How someone could cheat on Rosie, with Finnigan no less, I had no idea. Thomas really was a fucking nutter. A strangled sob came next, and that was when Finnigan and Thomas finally broke apart, and realized someone had interrupted them. Violet seemed more upset about the interruption, rather than the fact that the sod she was hooking up with had just been caught by his girlfriend. Thomas' eyes seemed to widen only slightly, but he made no move to untangle himself from Finnigan. It was only when Rose took off running in the direction of our dorm that it seemed to dawn on him what had happened.

"Rose!" He made a move to follow her, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I grabbed him by the collar, and turned him around to face me. I was extra glad in that moment that I was much taller than he was.

"There's no way you're going after her, Thomas. How could you? What, did you just happen to forget about your girlfriend? The one who is far too amazing for you in the first place? You should have been greatful she was even willing to be with you in the first place, not worrying about hooking up with slags in broom closets." He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, all I could think about was making him pay for what he had done to Rose, and I brought my fist up and with a sickening crunch, it connected with his nose. Violet let out a shriek that would wake the dead, but I couldn't even be bothered to care.

"Don't even think about trying to talk to her. If I hear you spoke to her, wrote her, or so much as look at her, it's not just going to be your nose that's broken. You stay away from her, Thomas, or it'll be your bollocks."

I left the two of them, half naked in Finnigan's case, and bleeding in Thomas' and took off running towards the Head's dorm. Aberforth didn't even ask for the password when I made it to his portrait. He just swung open, mumbling something about teenagers and hormones. Even from the portrait hole, the sounds of Rose's sobs were clear. I hated him even more for what he'd done to her, because this wasn't Rose. Rose was a strong girl who didn't let things bother her. She cried only when things were sappy and romantic. Her sobs made it feel like someone was squeezing my heart. I needed to fix her.

As I came to her room, I saw that the lights were off, and the only thing I could see was a lump on Rose's bed, which I took to be her. I didn't want to turn on the light, so I conjured a jar, and a blue flame that Mrs. Weasley had taught me, and placed it on her bedside table. When I finally saw Rose, it filled me with so many conflicting emotions, I wanted to explode. My heart broke at the sight of her, curled up and sobbing, but at the same time, the anger from before came back, and I wanted to find Thomas and hurt him some more. I knew that Rose needed someone now, I just hoped I'd be able to help her. I sat on the edge of the bed, and Rose looked up at me, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat up for a second, and threw herself into my arms, sobbing into my shirt. I wasn't sure exactly what to do, because I'd never had to deal with a heartbroken Rose before, but I wasn't going to leave her. I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her hair. Her tears didn't stop, but they didn't get harder, which I took to be a good sign. After almost half an hour of continuous sobs, I heard her speak into my neck. It was quiet, and even though her face was close to my ear, I had to strain to hear her words.

"Is there something wrong with me Scorpius?" It was just like Rose to think that something like this was her fault.

"Of course not, Princess. You're perfect. He's the one with something wrong. He's a prick for doing this to you."

"It's because she's prettier than I am, I know it." I couldn't help but scoff at her statement.

"Rosie, that's the farthest thing from the truth. You're more beautiful than her, without a doubt. He doesn't deserve you. I know that you're hurting now, and I know it's not going to just go away, but you need to know that none of this was your fault. This was his fault, and he should have known how lucky he was to be with, and not have been jumping into broom closets with the Super Slag."

Even though it was late, and there was class in the morning, it took me almost two hours to finally get Rose to understand that none of what had happened was her fault. In the end, she was so exhausted from her emotional night that she fell asleep in my lap. When I tried to lay her down, she wouldn't let go of me, but I finally managed to manuever us both into a comfortable sleeping position.

I was awake all night, all different thoughts running through my head. I was going to do whatever it took to protect Rose from that cheating sod, and I would do whatever I had to, to ensure that she would never cry again like she had tonight.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! The next chapter is going to be a little different. There's going to be a completely new POV, which I'm hoping will give a nice perspective about Rose and Scorpius' relationship. Starting next chapter, there's going to be a drastic change, though not in the way you might think.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I decided to save the new POV for next chapter, because it seemed to flow better by saving it, so wait for that next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and all the other chapters! I want to apologize for the absolutely obscene amount of time it's been since my last update, and the fact that this chapter is going to be shorter, and maybe a little awkward, but after this it should be back to normal. I'm not sure if there are even people left that want to read this story. If there are, this chapter is dedicated to you : )**

_Chapter 8_

_Aftermath_

_Scorpius' POV_

I'd been up most of the night, seething about the situation poor Rose was in. While I was thrilled to bits that she was rid of Thomas, I had never wanted it to be like this. I didn't want him to hurt Rose. It hurt to see my strong, independent best friend a crying mess. It made me want to give Thomas more than a broken nose. I was also regretting the fact that I'd been so blinded by rage that I'd forgotten about my wand. He was definitely in need of a good hexing.

It had been a long night, and I'd lost count of the number of times Rose woke up in tears. Each time, I'd pull her closer to me, and run my hands through her hand, promising that there was nothing wrong with her, that not of this was her fault, and she didn't deserve any of it.

As the sun began to shine through the curtains, Rose stirred in my arms. Her hair brushed against my nose, and I was unable to stop a small laugh. Lifting her head from my chest, it amazed me that she could look so defeated. Her usually bright blue eyes were dull, and red rimmed. With a small sniffle, she looked away and sighed.

"So it wasn't a bad dream, then?" Wincing at the fact that she even sounded sad, her voice hoarse, I pulled her closer and shook my head.

"'Fraid not, Princess. Don't worry though, I'm not going to let that arse anywhere near you." Rose buried her face into my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around her squeezing her tight.

"Do you want to go to breakfast, Rosie? If you want to stay here, I can run down and bring you something back up." Rose shook her head, and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"I can't hide, Scorp. As much as I want to, if I do, he wins." Nodding, I watch as she stands up and heads to the bathroom. Right before the door closes, a sob escapes her, and I can't help but wince. Walking back to my room, I write a quick note to Al, telling him what happened and to share it with Alice. Sending Apollo out the window to Gryffindor tower, I hope that I haven't overstepped any boundaries. Changing quickly, I settle myself on one of the couches, and wait for Rose to get ready.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch, because the next thing I know, Rose is shaking my arm. She looks much better, and I smile at her, but don't get one in return.

"Ready?" Rose shrugs.

"I guess I have to be."

Standing up, I open my arms, and Rose throws herself into them, squeezing me tight.

"It's going to be okay, Rosie. I promise. I'm not going to let him anywhere near you."

As we make our way to the Great Hall, I can feel Rose tense up every time she hears someone coming. I hate him for doing this to her. The Rose I know is confident and full of energy, and this just isn't her, and it's all his fault.

Al and Alice are waiting for us just outside the doors, and there's anger on Al's face. Alice looks as if she's about to cry herself, and opens her arms for Rose. They stand close together, and I can hear Alice whispering something to Rose, but I can't hear what. Al walks towards me, the scowl on his face growing.

"Please tell me you kicked the shit out of him, Scorp."

"Not as much as I would have liked to. I'll tell you about it later though, Al. I think Rose should eat something."

Al nods, and the four of us head into the Great Hall. Rose sits next to Alice, but makes no move to get herself any food. Pouring a cup of tea and adding sugar, I push it across the table towards her. She pulls it towards her, but doesn't drink it. I watch as Alice puts some food on a plate for her, but she ignores that, too. Alice, Al and I start eating, but we're all watching Rose while we do.

None of us say anything for a few minutes. I've been watching Rose push food around her plate, not actually eating anything.

Reaching across the table, I put my hand over hers. Looking up at me, I can see the heartbreak clear as day in her eyes, and all I want to do is make her smile again.

"Please eat something, Rosie?" I grab a piece of toast from her plate and hold it up to her. "Just a little bit."

Though she looks reluctant, she drops her fork and takes the toast from me. Even though she eats it slower than I've ever seen someone eat before, I'm a little relieved. That is, until Public Enemy Number One comes waltzing into the room. He has a black eye, and while I get a little rush of pride, I realize he only did it for attention, and I want nothing more in that moment than to give him another one. He starts talking loudly, and Rose tenses up again. Alice grabs her hand and squeezes, but it does nothing to help.

"Let's blow this joint, Princess." Rose's eyes snap up to me, and though they're filled with tears one corner of her mouth quirks upward, making me smile.

"Coming, Als?" They answer me in sync, and I roll my eyes. "You guys are adorable."

Al gives me the finger, but laughs, and the four of us head out. As we pass Thomas, I make sure to pull Rose close to me, and shoot him a dirty look. He has the nerve to smirk at me, and I have half a mind to kick the shit out of him right in the middle of breakfast.

Once we got to the Head's dorm, Alice and Rose went up to her room. Al and I sat in the common room, and he stared at me, waiting for an explanation. When I got to the part about him cheating with Finnegan, he snorted.

"Well, mate, at least now maybe she'll leave you alone."

"I can only hope, Al. I just regret not using my wand on the bastard. He's so smug. Did you see the way he strutted in to breakfast today? I just don't understand how he could do that to Rose."

We were silent for a while, and I thought about things that I could do to cheer Rose up. I didn't care about the fact that we still had a month before Christmas break, or that I had a lengthy Potions Essay due tomorrow. Seeing Rose upset was making me upset, no matter how girly that may sound.

"What are we supposed to do, Al? This isn't Rose. I hate that he did this to her."

Al starts looking at me weird, but when I question it, he shakes his head.

"I don't know, Scorp. I've never seen her like this. Hopefully Alice will be able to help her."

Deciding we'd had enough serious talk, we start playing chess. In the middle of the game, Alice and Rose join us. Rose's eyes are a little puffy, but she smiles at me, and it makes me feel a little better. Alice sits next to Al and he leans down to kiss her.

"Oh, gross. No PDA in the common room Als." I make a face at them, and Alice sticks her tongue out at me. Rose sits next to me, and sinks into the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

It was awhile before Al and Alice left, presumably to snog somewhere on their way back to the tower. Rose had fallen asleep during the last game of chess, and it was getting late. Scooping her up, I made my way up to her room, glad that there were no charms to deal with. About halfway to her room, she stirred, and mumbled my name, telling me to put her down.

Looking up at me with tired eyes, she held out her arms.

"Can I have one more hug before bed?" Opening my arms, and folding her into them, I rested my chin on the top of her head.

"You can have as many hugs as you want, Rosie. Whenever you want them."

Giving one last feeble squeeze, she set off into her bedroom, leaving me standing there, hoping things would get better soon.


	9. Chapter 9 (Author's Note)

**A/N: To the readers of Insomnia (if there are any left) **

**I am the worst. I haven't updated this story in over a year. Life happens, you get sucked into different randoms, and old projects get forgotten. The thing is, it pains me not to finish things. When I get the time, which will hopefully be soon, there will be updates to this story, and it will be finished. **

**If you stuck around, thank you for that. **

**Laura**

**x**


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